Urban Microbiology

The Emmy-Noether Junior Research Group Microbial Systems focuses on the investigation of microbial processes in aquatic and technical systems ranging from biological wastewater treatment to surface water ecosystems. Microorganisms are tiny, yet crucial organism that cycle our planets resources and keep our biosphere balanced, and thus provide vital ecosystem services. We are interested in the microbiomes of engineered and natural water treatment. Our overall aim is to develop tools that specifically measure and qualitatively assess microbes and their functions in water systems. We perform hypothesis-driven and explorative research that allows us to link microbes to ecosystem services.
Our research hereby focuses on the interaction and diversity of organisms within microbial biofilms with a focus on fungi and their function. Fungi produce very efficient exoenzymes that can transform difficult-to-degrade organic substances. Of particular interest are the largely unexplored aquatic fungi (so-called dark fungal taxa) and their diverse functions in the environment. We are also interested in the detailed characterization of the taxonomic and functional diversity of microbial communities with specific capabilities, e.g., microbial degradation or antibiotic resistance genes in the water cycle. Most recently, we started to explore the potential of biomarkers in raw wastewater as a source of information, which started in by quantifying biomarkers from the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and is now extending to other informative biomarkers, such as antibiotic resistances and pharmaceuticals.